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Vassar among 32 schools sued in early decision lawsuit
Carina Cole, Allison Lowe Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor
On Friday, August 8, a class action lawsuit alleging that college early decision admissions processes violate federal antitrust laws was filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. The complaint named Vassar and 31 other selective colleges and universities as defendants. The plaintiffs are four students and recent graduates from schools named in the lawsuit—one from Vassar, one from Washington University in St. Louis and two from Wesleyan University.
Each of the 32 colleges and universities either are or have been members of the Consortium of Financing Higher Education (COFHE), another named defendant in the lawsuit. COFHE is an unincorporated organization of selective, private liberal arts colleges and universities; COFHE also facilitates information sharing between these institutions. The lawsuit additionally names Common Application and Scoir, which operates the Coalition Application, as defendants. These are both widely used platforms to send early decision and regular decision applications to schools.
Early decision is an admissions process
Revisiting my summer score
Grace Finke Assistant Arts Editor
For the past three years, a crucial part of my moving-in process has been choosing album covers to print for my wall. Curating the perfect assortment of genres, influences and eras of music has become one of my favorite ways to see where my ever-changing music taste has settled. This blend of new and notso-new records serves as a time capsule of my summer and reminds me of all the different musical worlds I have stumbled into.
The new
“Dog Eared” (2025) by Billie Marten
Isabella Sophie Tweddle, better known by her stage name Billie Marten, has been one of my favorite indie-folk artists since I was in high school. Consequently, her newest album, “Dog Eared,” was one of the musical highlights of my summer. “Dog Eared” perfectly encapsulates everything I love about Marten’s music, creating an ethereal and hypnotising soundscape with her acoustic style and gentle voice.
The main draw of this album for me is its minimalistic musical language. Marten generally sticks to relatively simple chord
See SUMMER on page 4
in which applicants can increase their chances of acceptance by sending a single, restrictive application to their top-choice institution. In doing so, students agree that if they are accepted, they will withdraw all other applications and attend their early
decision choice. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants use early decision policies to artificially inflate tuition costs for early decision applicants; as schools lose the incentive to negotiate on prices for early decision admits the overall price of tuition
increases.
Early decision is not a legally binding process. Instead, it more closely resembles an honor-bound agreement and has no enforceable contractual obligations. The lawsuit emphasizes, however, that defendants—for example, the Common Application—falsely portray the early decision contract as legally binding. Consequently, many students believe they are legally bound to attend their early decision institutions prior to receiving financial aid offers.
In addition to application platforms, the lawsuit asserts, “The participating colleges and universities benefit from the fact that early decision is not legally binding.” Schools also benefit from the ability to rescind or withdraw acceptances if the admitted students’ grades decline after being accepted.
While the early decision contracts are not legally binding, the lawsuit claims that defendants prompt students to consider the ethical responsibilities of the admissions process, writing, “The guide lists ‘[having] more than one pending Early Decision application’— immediately after plagiarism— as an example of an ‘ethical’ violation.” Furthermore, the lawsuit states, “When
How on-campus students spent a ‘PK Summer’
Luke Jenkins Senior Editor
Students who stayed at Vassar over the summer months had a front row seat for an array of scenes: they heard the “bang bangs” of seasonal construction, ate in a quiet Deece and saw famous actors and actresses showcased at Powerhouse Theater. Some watched grazing goats at The Preserve, while a lucky few made eye contact with wandering YouTubers.
Students went to work too, participating in the Undergraduate Research Summer Institute (URSI), the Ford Scholars Program, artistic training at Powerhouse Theater, or jobs in the library, mail room, Computer Center, Wimpfheimer Nursery, etc.
Ashleigh McDermott ʼ26 participated in research at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center: “I was a Ford Scholar working with John Murphy (Curator of Prints and Drawings) doing research on Frederick Church.” Church was a prominent example of the landscape painters that made up the Hudson River School. Two paintings of his are in Vassar’s collection, and McDermott has helped with the construction of a mini exhibit to celebrate and critique Church’s impact, examining his role in producing ideologies like Manifest Destiny.
Hunter Farhat ’28 [disclaimer: Farhat is
Webmaster of The Miscellany News] worked in a Cognitive Science lab with Professor Josh de Leeuw. His URSI project’s focus, you may ask? “We created standardized experiments for researchers to contribute to—like an open source repository of experiments.” The project involved programming and was nicely aligned with Farhat’s Computer Science major. Above all, the lab of five students was a nice community. “My favorite part was working with a chill professor and making friends with my labmates,” he added.
At Vassar’s Preserve across the street, Apollo Marks ’28 spent the season working as a stewardship and research assistant. He shared, “We did all of the land management and data collection for research projects and ecological restoration projects.” Some of his favorite summer moments? “All of our lunch breaks,” Marks quipped.
The Retreat was the only dining option until June 20, but summer dining stayed interesting with “Womp Womp Wednesdays.” Once a week at The Retreat for May and June, and then at the Deece a few weeks after, students and staff picked up barbecue-style meals under tents outdoors. Each Wednesday had a theme. President Bradley provided students with lawn games and mozzarella sticks at her house in July, and Dean Luis hosted a summer cookout outside of Main Building in August.
Students largely enjoyed the relative peace. Miranda Fishkin ʼ27, who spent time working in the Office of Student Living and Wellness, shared, “I think I’m starting to retroactively appreciate how quiet the Deece has been.” As for recommending a summer in Poughkeepsie? Matthew Rawson ʼ26, who worked at the Infant Toddler Center (ITC), thinks, “It’s definitely worth it. It’s great if you’re on financial aid.” The cost for summer housing and meals is reduced based on how much aid a student receives during the academic year.
Magda Sharff ʼ26, who was the lone student working at the music library in Skinner Hall, admired the ease of transitioning back into the fall semester—“It’s a nicer way to start the school year, having already settled in.”
The vast majority of summer students were in Jewett House or Ferry House for June and July. Those in doubles were eventually able to receive AC units, although Hana Afiz ʼ27 wished they had arrived a little sooner. Despite the heat, Afiz enjoyed many parts of her summer, saying, “I think the weather, especially at night when it cooled down, it was really nice walking around—and I like my job!” Afiz spent the summer working for Campus Activities, valiantly manning the Information Desk.
Farhat and Ahmed Hashim ʼ26, who
See STUDENTS on page 3
2 GAMES
FEATURES
See if you can solve Sadie Keesbury and Oliva Blank’s famous Matthewsthemed crossword puzzle. 4 HUMOR
Keep reading Luke Jenkins’s recap of a summer wellspent at Vassar.
Emma daRosa returns with a special edition of welcome back horoscopes.
Luke Jenkins/The Miscellany News.
The Miscellany Crossword
“The Book of Matthew”
By: Sadie Keesbury and Olivia Blank
DOWN
ACROSS
1. “Be bear ___ !” (rhyming hiking advice)
6. Light weapon?
11. Pie ___ mode
14. Matthew who will play Odysseus in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film
15. [Crossing my fingers]
16. On the ___
17. Like fans after a buzzer beater
18. Jotted down
19. Him, in Paris
20. Walk in a “Contrast” show, say 22. Pale “Twilight” heartthrob
24. Feeling :(
27. “Severance” star Britt
29. Chair man Charles
30. Up-and-coming NYC bagel shop
32. Fancy-schmancy
34. Provoke, with “up”
35. Matthew who brewed
38. Site for tech reviews
39. Go through the Deece’s middle doors, say
40. Biblical brother
44. Covers a cake
45. First name of a Matthews Band
46. Everdeen of District 12.
50. What a bike might be, if you forget to lock it
52. Where to see a kite flight
53. You may read him in ENGL 101
56. Who you see after you see RNs
57. Gray ___, Matthew
59. One app for paying a friend back
61. ____ Dhabi
62. A policy that 56A won’t violate
64. Matthew who played Chandler Bing
68. ____ Nas X
69. Shenanigan
70. Nickname for a Nathaniel who loves to go online
71. “God ___ Woman” - Ariana Grande
72. “A Confederaacy of Dunces” author
73. Sprays (down)
1. Disability rts law
2. With 55D, a popular Tolstoy novel
3. GRST 145 word
4. Live like a nomad
5. Select “I will attend Vassar College” on your Candidate’s Reply Card, say.
6. Muscle-bone connector
7. Characteristic of a donut or faulty plot
8. ChatGPT, for one
9. Piece of fencing equipment
10. Ruby ruminant closely related to elk
11. Title bestowed upon the “Poet of the East”
12. Lauren known for creating “The World’s Best-Dressed Bear”
13. Surrounded by
21. Phil Connors gets a bunch of these in “Groundhog Day”
23. Dog’s display of excitement
24. Office for on-campus event planning (abbr.)
25. What your adviser gives you to access Pre-Registration
26. Bob who lost elections as both a presidential and vice-presidential nominee
28. Solution to a forgotten password
31. ____ bygones be bygones
33. “Lush Life” Singer Zara
36. A horse may win by it
37.Multidisciplinary Vassar program with courses in biothetics and public health
40. “Much ___ About Nothing”
41. Samuel L. Jackson or Larry David (mostly)
42. Never ____!
43. Camera attachment
44. Compliment for someone with great headwear
46. Capital of Rwanda
47. Ancient Egyptian god of the dead
48. ____ rasa, or “clean slate”
49. Zero, zilch
51. Protein option often found at Root
54. To no ____
55. What two fingers might symbolize
58. Punny abbreviation for conservatives who might not agree with their party
60. Greek wine goddess
63. Sick day alternative, for short
65. What other schools might have instead of stufels
66. 9, 55, or 44 in Poughkeepsie, for example (abbr.)
67. No opposite
THE MISCELLANY NEWS
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LIVE EVENTS CHAIR
WEBMASTER REPORTERS/COLUMNISTS
CARTOONIST COPY STAFF
Carina Cole
Allison Lowe
Darja Coutts
Luke Jenkins
Soren Fischer
Clara Alger
Julian Balsley
Emma Brown
Madeleine Nicks
Grace Finke
Aurelia Harrison
Yaksha Gummadapu
Sydney Jones
Jacob Cifuentes
Ian Watanabe
Emma daRosa
Josie Wenner
Wren Buehler
Henry France
Casey McMenamin
Molly Delahunty
Holland Kaplan
Lucas Seguinot
Amelia Gracie
Kathryn Carvel
Anabel Lee
Sadie
Bakken-Duchslag
Paige Hahn
Annie McShane
Sadie Keesbury
Olivia Blank
Denver Brown
Hunter Farhat
Jordan Alch
Eduardo Culmer
Armaan Desai
Noah Duncan
Lora Janczewski
Brendan Kenendy
Evan Seker
Erin Thatcher
Andrew Chu
Nikola Parker Cooperman
Quinn Kou
Gabrielle Lyman
Ren Nicolau
Tess Novack
Early decision lawsuit names Vassar as a defendant
Continued from LAWSUIT on page 1
participating schools receive such lists [of students who applied early decision], they routinely remove those students from their own application processes.” This information is stated in the context of the lawsuit’s claim that COFHE allegedly shares information between its members. The lawsuit maintains that if applicants
“It does not seem fair that, in order to put my chances of admission on a level playing field with my peers, I had to give up the right to compare the cost of attendance at different schools.”
break agreements with their early decision choices, they risk losing admission to other institutions.
Citing previous academic articles and
interviews by admissions officials, the lawsuit alleges that early decision is an unlawful conspiracy. It claims the process renders potential students unable to negotiate financial aid offers, as they cannot compare costs of their early decision institution with offers given by other schools.
The lawsuit states that this practice puts students from middle- and lower-income families at a disadvantage, as they are subsequently less likely to apply early decision. Allegedly, this allows higher-income students to reap the benefits of increased acceptance rates without worrying about higher tuition costs. While Vassar’s overall acceptance rate is 18.6 percent according to the College’s official Class of 2028 Profile, its early decision acceptance rate of 33 percent is significantly higher, as reported in the U.S. News and World Report
The lawsuit additionally criticizes the high percentage of students admitted to elite institutions through early decision each year, which upholds the systemic inequalities of higher education. According to Vassar’s 2024–2025 Common Data Set, 47 percent of Vassar’s Class of 2028 was admitted through early decision.
The complaint states, “The schools lose their incentive to compete on price for students admitted through Early Decision,
Students savor summer
Continued from STUDENTS on page 1
split his time interning in the city with an on-campus job, reminisced over a large WhatsApp group chat for summer students. The two spent their free time staying active by playing soccer. They got creative with their games as the days went on: “We invented tennis-soccer.” Hashim wishes, however, that people had more energy after working their 9 to 5. He added laughing, “People were just a little lazy.”
Summer life was sometimes lethargic.
For Farhat, he will remember celebrating the end of URSI at an all-you-can-eat Korean restaurant in New York City. A trip that ended where it all began, in good old Poughkeepsie.
McDermott admitted, “Life was pretty slow.” But when energy struck, students found ways to keep busy in the area. McDermott spent time at a local swimming hole and drove around the Hudson Valley. Marks went bike riding at the local Rail Trail, and Afiz stopped by the farmers’ market in Ar-
lington. There were visits to Beacon, an organized trip to see “Superman” and local 4th of July fireworks near the river. Students also took time to attend shows. Fiskin shared, “It was nice to be here to see the Powerhouse shows. I think ‘The Holes’ especially was one of the favorite scripts I’ve seen.” The play reading Fiskin saw featured Dominic Sessa, of the 2023 movie “The Holdovers.” The play was written by Max Wolf Friedlich and directed by Michael Herwitz. Rounding out the cast was Ben Levi Ross, who performed as Evan Hansen in “Dear Evan Hansen,” both on Broadway and a national tour, Kyle Beltran and Tina Benko. Fiskin was impressed with their performances: “It was a super strong cast.”
A former Elphaba on Broadway, Julia Marney, performed in the musical “It’s Kind of a Funny Story.” She was joined by James Monroe Iglehart, a former Genie for Broadway’s “Aladdin,” who won a Tony for his performance in the show in 2014.
Students also worked on or shadowed an independent film production. Shooting took place in Pratt House, the President’s House, in front of the sycamore on Library Lawn and elsewhere. According to IMDb, the film is titled “What May Be,” about a Shakespeare professor whose life starts to mix with fiction. Fisher shadowed production, an opportunity set up through the Film department. Also bearing cameras in the summer heat were YouTubers Ryan Trahan and Haley
driving up overall ‘top line’ tuition levels and reducing both need-based and merit-based aid for Early Decision admittees. The result is that both Early Decision and non-Early Decision students pay higher prices than they would have paid absent the conspiracy at the center of the Early Decision scheme.”
Jude Robinson ’26, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the plaintiff attending Vassar. In written correspondence, Robinson provided The Miscellany News with a press release on the case from Langer Grogan & Diver P.C. (LGD). LGD is the law firm that, with co-counsel Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, is representing the four plaintiffs.
In the press release, Robinson stated, “It does not seem fair that, in order to put my chances of admission on a level playing field with my peers, I had to give up the right to compare the cost of attendance at different schools. I thought I would get more financial aid than I did, but I never got a chance to weigh other options.”
Robinson stated to The Miscellany News that they had no additional comment.
When asked for a comment responding to the ongoing lawsuit, Vassar Vice President of Communications Victoria Grantham wrote via email to The Miscellany News, “We believe that this claim is
days
based on inaccurate information. This is especially true for Vassar as we do not share early decision names with other institutions and we meet 100% of demonstrated need regardless of whether the student is accepted in an Early or Regular Decision round. Due to the fact that this is a pending lawsuit, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”
Grantham added, “Every school that gives need-based aid like Vassar has an online calculator, so at any time in the application process, students and families can see a good estimate of what it will cost to attend any of the colleges that offer need-based aid.” Vassar’s Financial Services webpage states, however, that the estimate provided through its tuition calculator is not a definitive reflection of the final price of tuition for the applicant.
LGD’s press release specifies the plaintiffs’ desired outcome of the lawsuit, stating, “The antitrust class action seeks an injunction to end the use of binding Early Decision, past damages for students forced to pay more than they would have, and broad structural reforms in how colleges conduct admissions and deliver financial aid going forward.” LGD goes on to emphasize the importance of transparency and competition over secrecy and collusion.
in Poughkeepsie
Pham, who visited Poughkeepsie for a charity tour where they visited 50 states in 50 days. They can be seen walking by The Loeb in their Connecticut video on Day 27, before heading to the massive Barnes & Noble on South Road.
When students flock back and summer seems far away, there are a few standout moments that will remain. For Afiz, “My favor-
ite part of ‘Poughkeepsie Summer’ was when my childhood best friend came up, and she visited me,” she shared. This memory took a turn, however, when the two discovered a cockroach in a Jewett hallway. For Farhat, he will remember celebrating the end of URSI at an all-you-can-eat Korean restaurant in New York City. A trip that ended where it all began, in good old Poughkeepsie.
Luke Jenkins/The Miscellany News.
WELCOME ISSUE
Summer snapshots from organizing my musical space
progressions, instead adding intrigue with instrumental riffs and layered vocal harmonies. The consistent instrumentation and harmonic structure create a cohesive sound and narrative throughout the album. “Dog Eared” embodies the anticipated transition between summer and fall with its optimistic yet mellow sound, making it an obvious choice for my wall.
“Equus Caballus” (2025) by Men I Trust
In the past year, Canadian indie pop band Men I Trust has released two contrasting studio albums as a precursor to their Equus Tour. The first was “Equus Asinus,” a gentle and acoustic-heavy record. At first listen, it felt rather boring and made me question how I felt about the evolution of Men I Trust’s sound. These concerns about the band, however, dissipated with the release of “Equus Caballus,” a collection of reworked singles and new tracks that lean into their signature groovy, lo-fi style.
I believe “Equus Caballus” is Men I Trust at their best. They are not one of the artists I turn to when I am looking for emotional vulnerability or witty lyrics; I prefer them as background music to supplement my daily activities. The dreamlike synthesizer and boosted basslines in nearly every track give the album an energetic and playful feel that perfectly ac-
companies a long drive or a study session in Vassar’s beautiful library. “Equus Caballus” is engaging and atmospheric as well as a fantastic addition to Men I Trust’s discography.
The not-so-new
“Tidal” (1996) by Fiona Apple
The trajectory of Fiona Apple’s career has recently become one of my favorite musical phenomena. I consider Apple the soundtrack of my college experience, as I began listening to her during my first semester at Vassar, and have gone on to analyze and re-arrange her music throughout college. This summer, her first album, “Tidal,” especially resonated with me. Compared to her later work, the record has a more mainstream sound with soft, flowing vocal lines and traditional orchestral instrumentation, while also planting seeds of the deeply emotional and theatrical style she would later grow into.
“Tidal” is an eclectic collection of melodies and lyrics that blend influences from alternative rock, jazz fusion and art pop. Tracks like “Sleep to Dream” and “Criminal” showcase Apple’s iconic sound with their rough and percussive instrumentals, while “Sullen Girl” and “Never is a Promise” heavily lean into a more melodic sound that is found less in her body of work. The rest of the album comfortably lies between these two contrasting styles, with songs like “Shadowboxer” and “The First
Taste” playing into more soulfulness while still showing off the beauty of Apple’s voice.
Apple has been one of my favorite artists from both a sonic and analytical perspective, and I feel that “Tidal” is an especially interesting case study in how the conventional and avant-garde can work together to create a distinct musical voice.
“Frank” (2003) by Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse’s debut album is one of the few records that I would call flawless. Every time I found myself mulling over what music to play this summer, I immediately started “Frank” from the beginning and listened the whole way through.
“Frank” is what I would describe as a coming-of-age album, showcasing both the youthfulness and maturity Winehouse possessed at 20 years old. As I am currently the same age that Winehouse was when the album was released, I have found myself especially resonating with this record as I navigate the exciting and awkward transition between adolescence and adulthood.
In addition to its personal significance, “Frank” is a musical triumph, displaying Winehouse’s raw talent and creativity. Her iconic neo-soul style truly finds its footing, influenced by jazz standards such as in “October Song,” while also leaning into a more soulful sound in “Take The Box.” “Frank,” filled with
lyrical storytelling and raw emotion, is everything I think an album should be, and truly feels like a snapshot of my life at 20 years old.
In conclusion
As a musician, I feel that actively engaging with and critically analyzing the music I listen to has been one of the ways that I keep this passion alive. As such, my album wall has become something that I take pride in. I hope that my little corner of Lathrop House can continue inspiring me to broaden my horizons and truly enjoy all of the music that I encounter.
Image courtesy of Sarah Covich.